A Legacy of Opportunity for Saint Mary’s Students
As a high school student visiting potential colleges, Gretchen Flicker ’93 found herself sitting in an English literature class at Saint Mary’s College. Her interests were in math and business, so a literature class was the last place she expected to have an epiphany about her future.
Growing up in Minnesota, Gretchen yearned to break out of the Midwest and attend a college on either the East or West coasts. At the same time, an aunt who was a university French professor encouraged Gretchen to consider women’s colleges.
Visiting Saint Mary’s, Gretchen watched as the classroom came alive, with the students and professor engaged in a lively discussion about a piece of literature. “Something just clicked,” she recalled. “I don’t even remember the name of the book they were discussing, but I remember that feeling of engagement and wanting to be a part of it, in a way that I didn't feel at any of the other schools I visited. I realized that this is not the college I thought I wanted, but this is where I’m going.”
Over the course of four years, Gretchen studied hard as a dual math and business major, attended campus and Notre Dame events, grew as a young woman, and cemented friendships that have lasted 30-plus years since graduation.
She eventually left Saint Mary’s but the College never really left her. After earning her MBA, Gretchen started her career in investment management in California, and the local alumnae club kept her connected to her alma mater. As her career progressed, opportunities arose to participate more thoroughly in the needs of the College, and she found herself happily giving of her time and resources.
“Saint Mary’s made such a transformational impact for me that I wanted early on to make sure I was doing my part to ensure that future generations of women would have the same opportunity I had,” she said.
The short list of Gretchen’s involvement includes serving on the Madeleva Society Steering Committee, serving on the Campaign Executive Committee, being a member of the Mother Pauline Society, and in 2022 completing an 11-year term on the Saint Mary’s College Board of Trustees, three of which were as chair.
Though she is now retired, Gretchen’s deep belief in the value of a Saint Mary’s College education for young women has not wavered. Wanting to help ensure that the College continues to educate and inspire women for many years to come, Gretchen and her husband, Douglas Twisselmann, established a bequest in their estate plan for Saint Mary’s.
A bequest is a clause in a will or trust that allows an alumna or friend of the College to leave a portion or all of their estate to Saint Mary’s. Through a bequest, a donor can create a lasting impact to an area of personal meaning or provide an unrestricted gift to support the greatest needs of the College. Bequests offer donors flexibility as they may be adjusted at any time and may be a tax advantageous way to give.
“Every other year or so, women’s colleges close or merge,” Gretchen said. “The numbers are shrinking so fast. Saint Mary’s is in a unique position and I still feel an obligation to do my part to help ensure that she continues to offer education to undergraduate women, to help them learn to amplify their voice, and to provide role models as examples of what you can do in any industry, whether it is currently male-dominated or not.”
Gretchen vividly remembers Sister Miriam Patrick Cooney ’51, CSC, who taught her linear algebra in her sophomore year. “She was a force, an absolute force to be reckoned with,” Gretchen said. “She taught a course, Women in Math, a seminar she held on a weeknight evening at her house on campus. We would discuss female mathematicians over the centuries and their struggles in that field. Some were denied education but found ways to learn. It was an absolutely fascinating class. We learned that if we put our minds to it, we can do anything we want. We can overcome a lot of challenges.”
Gretchen’s inspiration for creating her bequest and her vision for Saint Mary’s is to ensure that one day every academically qualified young woman will have the resources necessary to pursue a Saint Mary’s education. “It’s a challenging dream, and I know my bequest won’t quite get us there, but that’s a great motivator for me,” she said.
A bequest is a way to honor Saint Mary’s College for persons of any income level, Gretchen said. She suggests using a percentage instead of a dollar amount. “A percentage does not disproportionately take away from other legacies in your will. Putting a bequest in a percentage means that you have that automatic adjustment as your wealth accumulates or is used.”
If you’d like to consider adding a bequest to your estate plan like Gretchen and Doug, contact Lauren Jaworowski Henzel '91, director of Gift Planning, at 574-284-4600 or lhenzel@saintmarys.edu.
November 22, 2024
